November - Nearly Christmas, But Not Yet
by HeKillsWithHisSmile
Summary: It's still only November, but the Doctor wants to make a start on the Christmas decorations. Rose, however, is not so keen on the idea... *PtXI of 'A Calendar of Stories'*


_**A/N: hi all! 11 down, 1 to go! I know this one is late, but because of October and Uni and stuff, I've not managed to get this up in time. I have planned a little for this month's fic and I am going to do my best to get it up before New Year (basically meaning, I have about 4 days to write it up...should be interesting). Anyway, I hope you all had an amazing Christmas (I'm still feeling a bit underwhelmed with the Doctor Who Special - I think I need to watch it again. It wasn't bad as such, just didn't think it was the best)! See you just before New year!**_

* * *

It's their first Christmas together in this world. Well, nearly, at any rate. It's still only November, but December is quickly coming around the corner. Already, there are shops donned with Christmas decorations; carol concerts happening around London and children staring at toys in stores being told: "wait and see what Santa brings you". The weather is turning as well. Up North and in Scotland, flurries of snow have fallen from the sky and they say that it's slowly making its way down South. They are predicting a white Christmas for those living in the South of England, but the likelihood is it'll rain.

So while everyone else is getting ready for the festive period to begin, the Doctor can't help but feel the need to join in too. After all, this year, he is sure that there are going to be no bog-eyed aliens trying to take over the planet and he certainly isn't going to be bed-bound in a regeneration coma. This year, things are going to go the way they should and he's the most excited he's ever been.

Rose, on the other hand, while loves Christmas, is not so ready for all the festive cheer as of present.

"Please, Rose!" The Doctor whines, trying to wrap some tinsel around her neck while she washes up her favourite mug.

"I said 'no', Doctor," she tells him. "Not until at least the first of December."

"But why?"

"Because December is Christmas, November is not."

The Doctor sighs sitting down on his chair by the kitchen table and huffing like a child. "There are already people on the estate with their Christmas trees up and you won't even let me put the lights up yet," he mutters.

It's Rose's turn to sigh now. She puts the mug she's holding on the draining board and turns to face him.

"Look, when I was a kid, we never put the Christmas decorations up until Christmas Eve, so you're lucky I'm letting you put them up as early as December first in the first place."

"What's wrong with putting them up early?" He asks, he's genuinely curious.

"If we put the decorations up too early, the magic of Christmas will be lost by the time Christmas Day comes around. That's what I've always believed," she says, picking up his mug and washing it.

"Christmas can never lose its magic!"

"Oh, believe me, when you've worked in a shop all year and you start selling Christmas stuff from October onwards, yes it can."

"But you don't work in a shop any more, you work at Torchwood – even they have their Christmas decorations up!"

It was true, the Torchwood Institute had elected to put their decorations up as soon as possible. The tree had been erected and decorated almost from the moment that Halloween had ended last month. Not everyone had been in agreement, of course, but the point is that that their decorations have been up longer than some shops in the area and certainly longer than the Doctor and Rose's.

"Yes, but we're not at Torchwood now, are we?"

"That's not my point," the Doctor huffs.

"Look, Doctor, I know you're excited – I get that – but, please, can you wait a couple more weeks? It'll fly by, I promise. In the meantime, if you want to do something Christmas related, try and think about what you're going to get mum and dad for Christmas."

The Doctor grimaces. "I have to get your mother a Christmas present?" he asks.

"Yes,"

"But what do I get her?"

"You'll think of something," Rose tells him. She finishes the last of the washing up and dries her hands on the tea towel. "Now, I promised mum I would meet up with her for a coffee, so I'll be back soon."

"What am I meant to do?"

"I dunno, finish working on that sonic you were trying to build or something. I don't see how it's taken you so long any way."

"I've been distracted by other things," the Doctor gives her a pointed, yet suggestive, look. Rose raises her eyebrow at him and smirks before sitting on his lap and kissing him deeply.

He responds eagerly and goes to deepen it, but Rose pulls back instead. His noise of disapproval at the move, only makes her smile.

"Not now, I'll be late," Rose giggles as the Doctor kisses her again.

"I'm sure your mother won't mind if you're a few minutes late," he states as he starts kissing her neck.

Rose bites back a moan and finally manages to get herself off the Doctor's lap. "If we get into this, it won't be a few minutes that I'm late, I'll never actually get there."

"I don't know how that's a bad a thing," the Doctor smirks.

"Shut up." Rose kisses his forehead gently before making her way into their living room and picking up her bag that she had packed earlier that morning. The Doctor follows her from the kitchen and watches as she makes sure she has everything before making her way to the door.

"I'll see you later," she tells him, kissing him goodbye.

"See you later," he replies. "Have fun with your mum and remember that you are going to have to make it up to me when you get back."

"Oh, I will don't worry," Rose grins suggestively before stepping out of the threshold. She doesn't shut the door straight away, but looks back at the Doctor. "Do not start decorating the house," she calls.

"Rose! How could you think I'd do something like that after you've made it perfectly clear that I'm not to put anything up until the start of next month?"

"Because I know what you're like," she reminds him and he can't help but agree.

"Fine, I won't put anything up," he sighs. "Now, go, before your mother starts wondering where you are."

She goes then, smiling at him before shutting the door behind her. He's on his own now and he swears he can hear the large box of Christmas decorations he's bought over the last month under their bed calling his name.

Well, he can't ignore them, can he?

…

He realises that he's gone too far as soon as the door opens and he hears Rose calling his name.

In all honesty, there's not much up, but there is a darn sight more tinsel up than there was when Rose left. It's probably a good thing that she come home now since, had she not, there would have been no telling when he would have stopped. He probably would have gone the whole way and put up the Christmas tree. Now that would have been something that Rose would definitely have killed him for doing. She's going to be mad enough at him as it is.

"Doctor?" He hears her call. He looks at the decorations he's put up: a few bits of tinsel adorn picture frames and he's put a whole load of it around their headboard in their bedroom. A couple of robins, too, hang from hooks that he's stuck on the wall especially. It's not extravagant or over-the-top, but it's still noticeable.

There is also tinsel around his neck and he's wearing his sparkly red converse which he bought especially for Christmas. Oh, he's in trouble now.

"Um…" is all he can say as Rose walks in the living room. Her eyes are wide, but they narrow when they land on him. The pointed look that she is giving him is enough to make him want to hide behind the sofa like a scared child.

"You've put up the decorations," it isn't a question, there's no need for that. She can see exactly what he's done and she's not exactly happy.

But she doesn't exactly sound surprised, either…

"Um…" the Doctor doesn't quite know what to say.

Rose sighs. "I can't leave you alone, can I?" She shakes her head, sighing again, but there's a fond smile appearing on her face. It's tiny, but it's there. Maybe he won't land up being killed for this, after all.

"Three hours I was gone," she tells him as she walks towards him and unwraps the tinsel from around his neck. She's very close – much closer than she needs to be – and the Doctor can't help but try and press himself into her.

"But it's Christmas," the Doctor tells her, trying to wrap the tinsel around her instead. He succeeds and presses a kiss to her neck, his chin brushing against the tinsel that hangs around her like a shiny scarf.

"Not yet, it's not," Rose reminds him.

"But it's nearly Christmas."

"It's still November."

"Don't care, that's nearly Christmas for me," the Doctor tells her, kissing her neck again.

She knows what he's doing; he's trying to get her to succumb to him. She knows it'll work, as well. Never can she resist him when he's kissing and sucking at her neck; it's one of her weaknesses and he knows it. She knows he knows it.

"Alright," she breathes; his hands are wandering now ad she's desperate to kiss him properly. "You win, you can start putting up the decorations," he pulls back, grinning at her like a child at Christmas, happy that he has finally managed to win her round. "On one condition, though," the Doctor nods, not caring what it is since he's too enamoured by her neck and wants to return to what it was he had been doing before Rose had given in. "The Christmas tree is not going up until at least the first week of next month – got it?"

The Doctor nods, eagerly, and makes to return his lips to Rose's neck. Before he can, however, Rose has managed to capture his lips with her own and kisses him deeply. He responds immediately, deepening it further as his tongue slips into her mouth.

He pulls back with a groan, not wanting to end it, but knowing they both need to breathe. He rests his forehead against hers and presses one light kiss to her lips.

"I think we should take this some place else, don't you think?" he asks her, kissing her again. She tries to deepen it, but he pulls back.

"So long as we're quick about it," she tells him.

"Don't worry, we're not going far," he grins at her and kisses her again.

"Come on then," she takes his hand and leads him to their bedroom.

The room is dark since neither of them can be bothered to turn the lights on. So it isn't until she leans against the headboard, her back met by an unfamiliar material that itches somewhat, that she realises.

Breaking the kiss, Rose looks at him, her eyes narrowed ever-so-slightly. It may be dark, but the Doctor's half Time Lord biology means he can see pretty well in the little light they have. Rose is looking at him with a look that clearly says: You did, didn't you?

The uncertain smile he gives her in return is all the answer she needs and she just shakes her head at him fondly. In all her life, she never expected to land up being with a Christmas-obsessed, incapable-of-waiting-until-December alien, but finds that she is incapable of doing anything about the fact that she is utterly and helplessly in love with him.

Even if he insists of putting up the Christmas decorations in November.


End file.
